Spotlight on Asia at Drouot

Alice Jossaume, Director of Portier & Associés and expert on several of the lots presented during this Asian week, is confident. "Asian buyers are becoming increasingly aware,” she says. “They now know how auctions work in France and it’s easier and much more pleasant for sales operators." In this highly specialised market where provenance and pedigree are the rule, Chinese and Japanese enthusiasts are well-known regular visitors of the auction houses. But for the past decade or so, recently wealthy collectors from Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos have been competing hard to acquire the treasures auctioneers unveil season after season. Advised by dealers and intermediaries from both continents, this very special, highly sought-after clientele comes to Paris in June and December to keep a close eye on these specialised sales. An imperial…